Fans of THE L WORD, get ready: Showtime is developing a new season of its popular and beloved female-centric LGBTQ drama. Co-creator Ilene Chaiken will be back as well as an executive producer.

The original series was an American/Canadian co-production and ran from 2004 to 2009. Set in West Hollywood, the show portrays the lives, relationships, and trials of various queer women, including lesbians, bisexual women, and trans characters. It has since become a staple in LGBTQ media with a passionate and loyal fanbase and won numerous GLAAD media awards while it was airing.

According to sources, if the series is greenlit, it will focus on a new ensemble of women but original cast members Jennifer Beals (Bette), Kate Moennig (Shane), and Leisha Hailey (Alice), will return as exec producers as well as reprise their original roles.

A new writer, executive producer, and showrunner with ties to the female LGBTQ community is currently being sought by the network.

Chaiken currently serves as the showrunner for Fox’s Empire and as an EP on Hulu’s critically acclaimed new series The Handmaid’s Tale. When The L Word cast and crew reunited at Entertainment Weekly in May, Chaiken told the magazine: “When we went off the air in 2009, I think a lot of people thought, Okay, the baton is passed now, and there will be lots of shows that portray lesbian life. There’s really nothing. It feels like maybe it should come back.”

The Tracking Board

Hollywood's premiere source for insider news and exclusives, tracking, analysis and coverage on all things film, television and entertainment. Home to the most robust spec market tracking, in development coverage, annual best lists, reviews, reports, opinions and daily news as it happens.